Article Focus:Need 3D modeling inside Adobe After Effects? Then you need this DVD! Creative COW Leader and Contributing Editor Serge Hamad shares his award-winning motion graphic expertise to unlock the power of the Zaxwerks Invigorator AE plug-in. Even if you've got no 3D modeling experience whatsoever, Serge will show you how easy it can be, and how great it can look. And even advanced AE and Zaxwerks users will find plenty of tips and tricks to work more effectively.

The latest addition to the Creative COW Master Series of DVD training answers a need we've heard expressed from the very beginning of After Effects development: how can I create and manipulate 3D objects while staying inside AE?

Zaxwerks Invigorator has long been the industry's plug-in of choice for just those that -- but it has a learning curve of its own. It can also look intimidating if you're just getting started.

Now, in "Invigorator Training," Creative Cow Leader and Contributing Editor Serge Hamad provides the perfect step-by-step guide to getting the most out of Zaxwerks Invigorator running inside Adobe After Effects.

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With 6 lessons covering everything from learning the interface and creating basic 3D models, to the more advanced subjects of creating custom edges, advanced texturing, and avoiding spikes, this DVD is packed with useful information that will help bring your After Effects animation into the 3rd dimension....and beyond!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's on the disk?
Six lessons: nearly 3 hours of training, as well as complete project files, ready to be customized.

Using Invigorator with After Effects

Creating an iPod

Creating an object in Adobe Illustrator

Bump-mapping, plus working with multiple faces and pivot points

Avoiding spikes and other artwork cleanup

Creating custom edges

All of these are covered in great detail, and include essential tips and tricks for After Effects, Illustrator, and of course Invigorator.

Who is this disk for?
Anyone interested in creating 3D objects and text inside of After Effects, from absolute beginners on up. Even advanced After Effects users will benefit.

Do I need to know anything about 3D?
Absolutely not! This DVD is designed for After Effects artists. After you've completed this training, you'll be ready to create and manipulate 3D objects inside AE.

Click to play: Bump Maps

What software do I need?
The project files are for After Effects 7.0.1 and above. You'll also need Zaxwerks Invigorator. If you don't already own it, download the demo version from Zaxwerks.com.

Is the training here compatible with Zaxwerks ProAnimator?
The UI and features for 3D object creation are the same for Zaxwerks Invigorator and Zaxwerks ProAnimator. So any ProAnimator customers will find this aspect of the training here very useful indeed. However, the two take very different approaches to animation. As a standalone application, ProAnimator animates the objects from within its own set-up window, without any keyframes. This approach is not covered here.

Instead, this DVD focuses on Invigorator as an After Effects plug-in. All animation is performed directly on the After Effects timeline, making it an such an outstanding addition for every After Effects artist who wants take their work into the third dimension....and beyond!

About Serge
At the age of nineteen, Serge Hamad started working as a combat photographer and, during this time, learned to visualize beauty, misery, hate and compassion almost instinctively -- but also respectfully. However, according to Serge, everything really started when he was ten years old, and his mother bought him his first camera. “I don't think that since that day I have ever stopped analyzing any light reflection on a glass or any shadow on a face."

Today, Serge is a Director of Photography and a Graphic Animation Artist with 25 years of experience under his belt. He continues to work for many major European TV channels, and has won several international awards.

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